Question:
What are the halachos regarding eating before Shacharis?
Answer:
If one slept and woke up after Chatzot it’s preferable not to eat before Davening unless there’s a real need, however drinking is permissible until Alos HaShachar. It’s forbidden to eat a KeBaytzah of bread or Pas HaBah Bekisnin or to drink an intoxicating drink after a half hour prior to Alos HaShachar. If one began before this, one may continue until Alos HaShachar.After Alos HaShachar, it’s forbidden to eat or drink anything besides water until one prays.The minhag is to allowing having coffee or tea even with sugar and milk added.
According to Ashkenazim, there is what to rely on to be lenient to eat a meal before Mincha except for having a big meal (like the meal of a wedding or Brit Milah) from the beginning of the tenth hour of the day (a half hour before Mincha Ketana) before davening Mincha for which there is no leniency to rely on. Nonetheless, it’s preferable to be strict not to have a big meal from the beginning of the seventh hour (midday) before davening Mincha.
According to Sephardim, it is preferable not to have a big (like the meal of a wedding or Bris Milah) or small meal (greater than a KeBaytzah of bread) from the beginning of the seventh hour (midday), however, the minhag is to be lenient and hold like the same halacha as Ashkenazim and there is what to rely on.
This prohibition to eat before Mincha only applies to having a small meal which is more than a KeBaytzah of bread, however, a snack such as a KeBaytzah of bread or less or a lot of fruit is permissible.
However, some say if one always goes to minyan and there is a set time, it’s permissible to eat, even after 9½ hours except having a feast such as a wedding or Brit Milah after 9 hours.If someone woke up very late and missed davening Shacharis he may not eat until he davens mincha.From a half hour before Tzes HaKochavim (of the Geonim, not רבינו תם) it is forbidden to eat a meal (2 kezaytim of bread or Pas HaBah Bekisnin) until one has davened Maariv (Shema and Shmoneh Esrei).
Some say that if one always goes to minyan and there is a set time, it is permissible, even after Tzes HaChachavim except by a feast such as a wedding or Bris Milah one should not start after Tzes.
Once the time for Mussaf (from Alos HaShachar) it’s forbidden to eat a meal (more than a KeBaytzah of bread) before praying Mussaf, however, it’s permissible to have a KeBaytzah of bread or a lot of fruit.
The custom is to be lenient to permit eating even more than a Kabaytzah of baked Mezonos (cakes and cookies) before Mussaf after having made Kiddish.
If one does eat before Mussaf one must first do Kiddish and have a Revi’it of wine or eat a Kezayit of baked mezonot (cakes and cookies) in order to fulfill Kiddish.
Ashkenazi Women may not eat before davening Shacharis (Ishei Yisrael 13:30) while Sephardi women may.Some poskim say that if a woman wants to eat before davening, she should say a short prayer that includes praise of Hashem, a request to Hashem, and thanks to Hashem and then eat. It is preferable for her to also say the first paragraph of shema before eating. This solution works even if she is later going to daven a regular davening afterwards.
On Shabbos, some poskim write that a married woman who didn’t daven yet and is permitted to eat, such as in the case above, if her husband has not davened yet, some poskim hold that she may eat without reciting Kiddush. Once she davened certainly she needs to recite Kiddush before eating. However, an unmarried woman who didn’t daven yet and is permitted to eat, such as in the case above, must recite Kiddush before eating.
Sephardi poskim hold that women may not eat before Kiddush and if she usually davens she may drink coffee or tea before davening; a mother who is nursing may rely on those who say it is permitted for women to eat without Kiddush during the day in accordance with Yalkut Yosef 289:6. See Daas Torah 289:2 who cites the Maharam Chalavah (Pesachim 106a) who says that women aren’t obligated in the daytime Kiddush.
Although an adult may not eat before praying Shacharis, a child under bar mitzvah may do so. Some say that once a boy is twelve years old and one day he shouldn’t eat before davening. |